Discovering the True Meaning
by Daaviiee
Summary: Coincidentally, she managed to meet the older Uchiha in his world of black and white. She wanted to be there every step of the way, even if it means making enemies. Managing to snag the Uchiha and his family, a young Kyuubi, and others, what impact will she have on people? Especially Itachi? Rated M for eventual blood and gore.
1. The start

**12-16-12:**

** I am truly sorry for neglecting all my stories. I had no intention- okay, I lied. I did have an intention to do it. I used so many excuses to not keep writing and I didn't feel motivated at all. Then when I saw that they deleted one of my stories, I just gave up. **

** Now, here I am starting from the beginning. I suddenly realized when I was doing this story I didn't have it revised at all. I learned many things to succeeding in having a good story that will peak the reader's interest. Hopefully, these tips will be beneficial to me and let everyone that is reading this enjoy every bit of it. **

**A/N:**

**This is a little experiment that I want to try. I actually read many stories pertaining to many ideas like this, but I'm not completely sure of how it will come out. I guess I got a little love sick? Anyways, let's just carry on.**

The forest was pitch black with the moon's light shining through the evergreen. The leaves carried by the wind swooshed through the branches as they fluttered to the ground. No sound or a rustle from an animal was heard at all. It was as if every living creature was holding their breath to wait for the danger to pass. Footsteps reverberated from tree branch to tree branch, barely making a sound when a foot met the wood. The figure gracefully landed, absorbing the impact with his knees, before preparing to launch again. All that could be seen was a small thin figure for a shinobi and blood crimson, shimmering eyes.

Itachi Uchiha was returning from a B-rank mission with only achieving a few scratches and bruises. His mission consisted of guarding a daimyo's daughter during their journey from a diminutive village near Konoha to a village near rice country.

The daimyo was shocked and infuriated when he saw that Konoha sent a shinobi of such a young age, younger than his own daughter that looked to be around sixteen! It seemed as Konoha had no concern for the well being of their clients. His arrogance and superiority wanted someone more accomplished someone that can actually protect his daughter, someone _older_. Even if the daimyo freely projected his thoughts, Itachi was not the least fazed from the blatant feelings.

Such a reaction would come along with the young prodigy since Itachi was currently only 10. You would have expected normal kids around that age to still be in the academy, but that wasn't expected for this case.

At the mere age of 7, he graduated the ninja academy and at the age of 10, he soon became chunin. This was a new, but fascinating discovery that the Uchiha's would gloat about to other rival clans.

Even if the daimyo's daughter was almost twice his age, she had fallen for the dark and mysterious aura Itachi emitted, shamelessly flirting with the young him. She would immediately grasp on to his arm when he was present, wooing about his bravery to defend her. Often, she would proceed as a damsel in distress purposefully. On one occasion, she begged him to abscond with her and elope, even if the village she was traveling to meet her married spouse.

Itachi remained alert throughout the whole mission, suspicious and watching for anything that was unsettling or unusual. Almost close to Rice country, a group of rogue nin ambushed them. A group of five men surrounded the cluster, but Itachi succeeded in his assignment; he protected the daimyo's daughter and the driver of the carriage. The rogues seemed to be around chuunin level so it was fairly simple to handle them. One caught him by surprise though when the leader – which he concluded as one – sent a flurry of shuriken and kunai when he was preoccupied against two of the leader's teammates, resulting in him receiving a gash on his right arm.

This didn't slow him down one bit, but it was still an injury that caused him pain. Soon enough, he annihilated the last of the enemies. The daimyo's daughter hugged him against her bosom and bawled at his injury, blaming herself for all the trouble he had to go through. He got that healed by the village's medic when they arrived, but left the scratched and bruises to heal naturally, which would mend in a day or two. She protested vehemently and cried, clinging on to the young ninja when his mission was complete.

After returning to Konoha and showing the guards at the gates his mission scroll, he was soon on his way home while using the trees for a faster transportation. Everything was just a blur when he flew past. He glanced at the sky and thought that it must be around 10 at night. His mother would either be awake waiting for his return or trying to get his little 5-year old brother Sasuke to sleep.

Broken out of his thoughts, he heard a creak from a swing. He was next to a playground, he realized, but no one should be out at this time. Activating his sharingan, he scanned the area for precautions. What surprised him was a tiny girl sitting on an old swing. He wouldn't have seen her if it wasn't for his kekkei genkai. This girl's chakra was abnormally small, possibly a civilian child. Her head was angled towards ground beneath her, her feet dangling from the swing, barely grazing the dirt beneath her figure.

Eyes turning back to pitch black, Itachi silently walked to the unmoving form. She had pastel pink hair that barely grazed her shoulders. She adorned a light blue shirt with khaki pants, sandals adorning her petite feet. The girl looked the same age as his otouto. Kneeling in front of the girl, he patiently waited for any reaction of acknowledgment. Still no reaction, he finally spoke, startling her in the process.

"Hello," his melodious voice rang softly.

Sakura Haruno was an intelligent child, which she had figured out. She knew when her parents wanted her to go to her room or the playground when they had another disagreement, knew when to talk when spoken too, and knew things that some kids didn't know at her young age. Some kids would love to be at the playground or to play, but she loved to help her mother at her occupation or play with her toys, not to associate with other peers. Well, she would love to play with other kids, but they would be loathsome and make fun of her forehead.

So, she would often be found playing alone which her mom would pity her and take her out for ice cream. Today was no different. Kids laughed at her forehead while she tried to conceal it by her bangs, but it seemed to make it worse. They would pester her long enough that she would ignore them until they got bored and leave. Sure, she coped with it every day, but it still hurt to hear their insults and unrelentful teasing. When her mother came to pick her up, she immediately ran to her mom. Arriving back home, she helped her mom with the little stuff like cleaning the house or cooking.

Later on that night, her father came home intoxicated. Mother interrogated him, which caused him to be livid. Mother told her to go to the playground and she followed her order. This is where it leads to her sitting on the swing at 10 o' clock at night. Everything was so quiet, not even the sound of crickets were heard. Sakura didn't notice a shadow blocking the moon's light in front of her.

"Hello," she looked up at the person, startled, almost resulting of her falling backwards off the swing. The person looked at her with amusement dancing in their eyes, but kept an impassive face. He seemed like the same age as the boys who would pick on her, yet he seemed to contain a mature aura. In instinct, she shrunk back in fear from the older boy.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you."

She looked at him with her big emerald, innocent eyes that shined with curiosity and cautiousness. She immediately agreed from the words he said for she slowly went back to her original position, but looking at him.

The boy had raven locks tied back into a loose ponytail by a red rubber band. Bangs framed the side of his face, complimenting his high cheekbones. Onyx eyes stared at her and two stress lines going diagonal under both of his eyes seemed unusual, but added to his attractiveness.

He wore the standard chuunin vest over a mesh shirt and fishnets. Standard black pants had white bandages and a weapons pouch strapped on his right thigh. Ninja sandals adorned his feet. He had a mysteriousness that caught her attention.

"May I know your name, little one?" he asked with a gentle tone. A glint came off his hitai-ate, catching Sakura'a attention.

"Sakura Haruno, Shinobi-san," she answered, receiving a shake of his head.

"No need to call me that, Sakura-san," he said impassively.

"Who are you then?" she asked coyly.

"Itachi," Itachi cocked his head. "What are you doing out here at a time like this?"

"Daddy came home bumping into stuff," she explained, a frown marring her face, her lips in a pout while she looked down. "Mommy started asking him stuff and Daddy got mad and broke some things. Then Mommy told me to come here."

"Ah," she peered at him and he looked deep in concentration. A minute later, his eyes refocused on the little pinkette. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, but I remember Daddy coming home at," she paused to count her fingers and then showed him 8 fingers, "eight. Daddy was supposed to come home earlier to eat dinner, but he came late at night."

"I think it's safe to go home now, Sakura-san," Itachi voiced out and she nodded in agreement. "Come on, I'll take you home."

Sakura hopped off the swing and looked at the chuunin, trusting him so easily. "Are we going to fly on the roof?"

"Ah," Itachi chuckled lightly before he bent down in front of her, his back to her to show her to get on his back. She climbed on and soon enough they were flying on the rooftops. From the directions that Sakura told, they arrived at a small one-story home. Its yellow house with the small picket fence decorated with a variety of flowers seemed like a cozy home.

Knocking on the door, Itachi waited until he heard footsteps moments later. The door opened to reveal red-headed woman with a drained face that brightened at the sight of Sakura. He set her down, who ran to the open arms of her mother. After their little reunion, the woman stood up with Sakura in her arms and looked at him.

"Thank you, Shinobi-san," she bowed slightly in gratefulness. "How can I repay for your kindness?"

"It's alright," Itachi bowed in modesty and politeness. "It's my job to help those in need. If that will be all, I will be leaving now."

"Thank you again," the mother nodded.

"Bye, Itachi-san!" Sakura waved her hand and Itachi gave a nod to her before vanishing in to the night.

Hot water cascaded down his back, steam rising from the heat. Itachi scrubbed away all the sweat and grime on his body, washing away the dried blood. A content sigh left his mouth as he stood there in the shower.

Once done, he wrapped a towel around himself before walking out of the bathroom. Looking through his drawer, he put on a black shirt and sweats. Tying his brushed, wet hair into a rubber band, he laid on his futon. Moonlight filtered through his room in a silver beam, giving some form of light in the dark room.

After returning Sakura back home safely, he went to report his mission. The hokage seemed pleased when Itachi handed him the scroll with every detail of what had occurred during the mission. Soon enough, he was dismissed to go home.

As was predicted, his mother, Mikoto, was trying to get Sasuke to go to sleep unsuccessfully. Sasuke had wanted to stay awake to see his aniki, even if he was on the brink of sleep. This amused Itachi to no end for Sasuke tackled him when he came home and Mikoto greeting him with a hug.

His father, Fugaku, was nowhere to be seen, possibly still at work, which Itachi was glad for. He didn't want to deal with his father when he had just returned from a mission. He would be lectured about how he was the heir of the Uchiha clan and was to be the best prodigy. After a small snack of onigri that was prepared from his loving mother, he went to bed.

Recalling what had happened earlier, he thought about the pinkette. She was a young child, yet too intelligent for a kid at her age. She didn't seem to be afraid of the outdoors during night when she was alone and not crying from loneliness. Too bad, he thought, that she wouldn't remember him. She was deemed an interesting kid, the least. Her pastel pink hair did not clash terribly with her bright, emerald eyes; her features were more exotic. Sure, her forehead was abnormally large, but she will soon develop into it. It actually suited her well with her personality.

Then, she put so much trust in him, so easily. He could have been a rogue and killed her instantly from that mistake, but something made his whole being warm. This little girl had gotten him to show enough emotion in so little time than other people who took years, except his little otouto that is. Not putting much thought of why that occurred, sleep overcame his sense and he lost consciousness.

**A/N:**

**I know that it may seem a bit boring, but remember it's just an experiment. I was going to post a story similar to this, but I guess it wasn't meant to be. Since I am too lazy to find a beta-reader, criticism is very much welcome. I am still learning after all, but I would like if you would point out the errors. I try to find most errors as I can, but some help would benefit me. Merry Christmas!**

**12-17-12**

** I tried to put more sensory detail so the story would be more interesting. I still don't know where this story is going actually. Any ideas would be helpful, thank you. Please review if you have the time. Have a merry Christmas and happy holidays!**


	2. A new encounter

**12-18-12:**

** I'm slowly becoming more motivated, but many people still think I am not updating. I am apologizing with all my sincerity. Please, I hope that this is more to your suiting with little mistakes. Please tell me any ideas that you have in mind.** **Thank you.**

Itachi lacked emotions, that you can clearly conclude from observation, but he was the very most a "mama's boy". Never denying her requests and causing any commotion, he was a boy that any mother would dream of having, except Mikoto unfortunately. Even though she adored his polite manner and obedience, the boy wouldn't go out and have fun. At the age of 10, you would've expected him to be running away from girls that had the "cooties" or rough-house a few boys in his class, but this was not the case.

When he was supposed to be running away from girls, he would study all day long, occasionally having a break or two; when he was supposed to be wrestling boy twice his size, he would spend the time training. He babysat Sasuke when she had her hands full with no complaint whatsoever. Mikoto appreciated the help really, but she wished that her son would spend his time socializing with his peers and having enjoyment. A few times, she indirectly got him to take Sasuke to the playground where the brothers can socialize with other kids. Now, at the moment, she was taking full advantage of the idea.

"Itachi, dear, why won't you take Sasuke to the park?" Mikoto nudged Sasuke to Itachi, almost tripping over his own feet in the process. He sent a glare to her for what almost occurred of his death, in which he assumes in his mind, before returning his gaze to his aniki.

"Yes, Kaa-san," Itachi nodded to her request, his eyes softening at the sight of otouto.

Sasuke had raven black hair that had a tint of azure when the sun shined down upon his head. His aristocratic nose was perfectly pointed and his cheeks covered in baby fat made him more adorable. His hair was unruly no matter how much they comb it, seeming as if it was defying the physics of gravity.

Oddly enough it was shaped like the bottom of a bird, a chicken or duck specifically. Bangs framed the side of his angular face as to not prevent any complications in his vision. The younger brother looked up at him with adoration and excitement, practically bouncing with the thought of spending time with his brother.

"Aniki, I want a piggyback ride!" Sasuke lifted his arms, expecting fully to ride on his back. Itachi, without a hesitation, kneeled and faced his back towards him. Eagerly, Sasuke climbed on, wrapping his arms tightly around Itachi's neck, but not too tightly to hinder his breathing.

"Bring him back before dinner, okay?" Mikoto called as Itachi walked towards the direction of the playground.

The village bustled about around them as they walked through the market. It was crowded with all the people bargaining for discounts and walking different directions, but with the agility and flexibility of his career, Itachi moved fluidly through the mass of flesh. He glided pass them and he did not bump into any of the passers. He was like water flowing through a stream, calm.

During the whole walk, Sasuke chattered on how their mother tried to force him to eat his vegetables to asking Itachi if he could train him "to be strong and the best shinobi like his aniki". Itachi nodded or grunted once in a while to show that he was listening, but cautiously denied to train the young Uchiha due to his schedule that would interfere with the proposal.

"Maybe another time when I'm not busy, Sasuke," Itachi commented before kneeling down to let Sasuke off his back once they arrived at the playground.

Not many kids were running around at the park since their parents were off work. The few that remained entertained themselves or socialized with their peers. Childish laughter rang softly like a bell when it reached Itachi's hearing range. A light breeze flew through the opening of the area from the evening day.

"Aww, really?" Sasuke pouted, his bottom lip jutting out and trembling slightly from disappointment. He really wanted to train with Itachi, but Itachi always had an excuse. "Fine, but you better mean it, aniki!"

"Foolish otouto," Itachi proceeded to gently jab Sasuke in the forehead with his two fingers, creating a small, red mark to appear. Sasuke clutched his head with a grimace then grinned before running to the swings. Itachi sat under a shady tree, away from the sun's rays and still close by to Sasuke in case anything happens.

Recalling the events from the past few months was very stressful, to say the least. Again, Itachi's father, head of the Uchiha clan, Fugaku, believed that Itachi was more than capable of applying for ANBU. Of course, Itachi had to comply without a protest from being the Uchiha heir and what the elders would demand. The elders along with his dad requested - no, demanded him to try out the ANBU exams.

Itachi believed he was close to being at a jounin level, but with enough patience and training, he could easily pass for ANBU. He could be ANBU, but he would rather not be until the time comes; he wouldn't rush into it. Even though the third hokage agreed that Itachi could possibly surpass the exams and become a great asset to the village, his age was what prevented him from continuing on with giving Itachi a higher rank.

Itachi should be savoring the short time of childhood, if he had one in the first place, the hokage thought. With clan responsibilities, missions, family, and the role of being clan heir, there can be a lot of stress placed on one's shoulders. It's a wonder that Itachi is still sane and not having a mental breakdown through what he is going through at the moment. All expected from a prodigy.

Luckily, Mikoto pleaded to the clan's elders to extend the date of when he will have to take the exams, when he passes the jounin exams in a matter of time. He was very fortunate when the elders complied to the plee, although Fugaku clearly protested vehemently. With a glare and a long discussion between Itachi's parents, the extension of the exam was set a few years for Itachi to take.

A pained yelp followed with an insult was heard from the direction of the swings, effectively breaking him out of his deep reverie. Turning his attention to the noise, he saw Sasuke clutching his bottom and a little girl standing above him, face flushed with blood. Her arms were crossed over her heaving chest and her eyes held a burning fire that brightened it with ferocity. She looked a bit tousled, a few scratches possibly caused by a fall, but overall fine. He did a double take when he realized who the girl was. Then, a smirk slowly started to form from who he identified her to be.

It was not just any unknown child from the playground, but someone relatively familiar. Disheveled pink hair accompanied with emerald, shining eyes. Her chubby cheeks were beet red from the blood that suddenly rushed to it. A sight that you couldn't miss from a mile away- literally.

It was little, feisty Haruno Sakura.

* * *

><p>Her mother had left Sakura at the playground at noon to get to her job. This was a common thing to Sakura, who didn't mind very much. She would spend her time at the playground for hours before the sun sets, and then her mother would return looking worn out. She would greet Sakura with a hug and they would go home, doing the same routine the next day. It was repetitive, but Sakura didn't complain.<p>

Her mother would give her a bento full of food for when she got hungry. Her mother assumed that Sakura would be playing with kids her age at the playground. Oh how wrong her mother was by a long shot.

Sakura never had any friends, and no one would befriend her anyways. They would either tease her about her wide forehead or her looks, maybe even both. She practically looked like a cotton candy with legs, for Kami's sake! In the mean time, she would read a book that her mom would bring for her and sit on the swing, look at the clouds, doze off under a tree, play in the-

"You're on my swing."

Sakura, startled out of her reverie, turned to the owner of the voice with wide, doe-like eyes. A boy probably the same age as hers had dark hair and eyes, similar to a familiar shinobi months ago. The hair on the back of his head was spiked in many odd directions, bangs framing the side of his face. Surely, his hair can't be natural like that. Either it was natural, that would be really weird yet cool, or that's a lot of gel or hairspray he's using.

His face had a pointy nose that complimented high cheek bones, but could not be clearly distinguished from the baby fat on his cheeks. His eyes were a dark shade of ebony while his hair had a tint of blue in it. All in all, he was a handsome boy... even if his hair resembled a cockatoo's bottom.

"Hello, are you deaf?" a hand waved back and forth in front of her face as her eyes followed the movement. "I said 'you're on my swing'."

"I'm sorry?" Sakura looked at the boy with confusion shown on her delicate face. The boy huffed in annoyance, crossing his arms.

"Jeez, are all girls this stupid? I thought with that wide forehead of yours you would have a brain somewhere in there," he scoffed, pulling off the "Uchiha personality" quite successfully while her face flushed in anger and embarrassment, her left eye slightly twitching, developing a tick above her eyebrow.

"Oh yeah," she cocked her head to the side in defiance, "If this is your swing, then where is your name?"

"It doesn't need a name on it," he answered haughtily, "I'm an Uchiha so it's rightfully mine!"

"No, it isn't. You don't own this swing- no one does. If I can't have it, then you can't either."

"I told you this. Is. My. Swing!" with that said he tipped her off the swing watching her fall backwards, arms flailing to grip something, but failing in the end. All of her breath was knocked out from her as her whole backside made an impact with the hard, yet soft sand. Her body ached, but she ignored it as she slowly stood up. Her arms shook from trying to stand up, trembling from the effort.

She brushed off the debris from her clothes as she hatefully narrowed her eyes at the boy. Sasuke stood there with his arms crossed in front of his chest, appearing aloof and uncaring. She silently growled and puffed up her chest, which Sasuke snickered at her attempt to be intimidating.

Faster than any five-year-old can comprehend, Sakura pushed with all her might, using all the strength that she could muster, to push the boy that not a few seconds ago pushed her off the swing. A loud yelp escaped past his lips followed with a thump as his body came to meet the ground.

Clutching his bottom, he attempted to glare the infamous Uchiha glare, which his father and aniki so often used, on the girl who just pushed him. Such a surprise when the girl looked like she could be knocked over by a gust of wind. She looked so thin and frail with the way that she carried herself.

"What was that for, you pink-haired freak?" he yelled angrily, pushing himself off the ground while wiping off any dirt on his clothes.

"You pushed me off the swing first!" she cried out in annoyance, crossing her arms.

"Because you were on my swing and you were too stupid to understand what I'm saying," he spat out.

"Shut up, you... you arrogant, stuck-up prick!" she yelled back at him. Before he retaliated, a voice had intervened their heated war.

"Sasuke, I thought you knew better than that," the person's voice had a tone of disapproval and... amusement? "Sakura, that wasn't very nice, was it?"

Most kids around her age would have forgotten a person that they met for a few minutes in a few weeks; most would forget in a few days. Who said that she was "most" kids? Sakura knew she was different from the start. From the way that kids didn't want to play with her or the way that they ignored her, she knew there was something that made things happen the way they were.

Now in front of this person that looked like the boy that she just pushed moments ago, all she can recall was who he was, but not his name. He looked the same from two months ago, but he seemed a bit more...stressed? Why he would look like that when he's only a few years older than her, she concluded. The lines on his face seem a bit more pronounced than they were before.

Her eyes widened as she connected the pieces together. Kami couldn't put a nice person with a sibling like the devil himself. That would be the end of the world! Well, not literally, but you get the point. Well, the both of them did look alike even if one was just a miniature version of the older boy.

"Shinobi-san!" she greeted, bowing in respect.

"Itachi," he said immediately in a heartbeat.

"Eh?" she cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"My name's Itachi," he repeated again and she nodded in understanding. Sasuke, feeling ignored, blurted out in frustration.

"Aniki, she pushed me because I told her she was on my swing!" Sasuke crossed his arms with a huff, perfecting the image of a spoiled child.

"But you pushed her first, didn't you?" Itachi raised his eyebrows.

"Um...yeah, but only because she didn't listen to me! I'm an Uchiha!" Sasuke pouted while Itachi frowned.

"That doesn't give you the right to push someone because of your surname- a girl nonetheless," Itachi shook his head in disappointment. "Apologize."

"What? No way!" Sasuke shook his head furiously as if his mom was telling him to eat his vegetables. Aside from tomatoes that is, he thought, because tomatoes are not vegetables- they are fruit.

"Yeah, apologize," Sakura mocked her hands on her hips. Sasuke glared at her venomously.

"You're not off the hook either, Sakura," Itachi looked down at her. Her expression went from mocking and teasing to disappointed and forlorn. Sasuke, behind Itachi, stuck his tongue at her in malicious victory, which Sakura responded with a glare. "I'm waiting." Itachi stared her, forgetting Sasuke for a minute. Sakura sighed in defeat because this was going nowhere. Sasuke obviously wasn't going to apologize first.

"I'm sorry, " Sakura grumbled. Why did she have to apologize? She didn't push him first! Well, she did push him back too, but that was for sweet, sweet revenge. Plus, she's a girl to add to the list.

"I can't hear you- speak louder," Sasuke cupped one of his ears mockingly and leaned in closer to 'hear' better. She just huffed and crossed her arms, a glare already marring her face as her nose scrunched up in distaste.

"I'm sorry! Happy?" she grunted out unhappily. She grumbled under her breath, something along the lines as "stupid cockatoo head..." and "shove sand in his pants..."

"That's better. Let's go, Aniki," Sasuke grabbed Itachi's hand and tried to tug him along, but to no avail as he didn't move at all.

"Now, Sasuke, I didn't forget about you," Itachi tightened his hold on the younger Uchiha and pulled him back. He pushed him to the little pink haired girl who was waiting rather impatiently. "Apologize or I'll tell Kaa-san. You don't want me to tell her, do you?"

Sasuke shuddered at the thought of Itachi telling their mother. Her punishment would be worse than the one that Itachi was making him do, if you consider this a punishment that is. Even the thought of what would happen if Itachi snitched on him made his body turn ice cold.

He looked at Satan's daughter herself and mumbled an apology. "What was that? I couldn't hear what you said. Can you say it louder?" She did the same thing that he did not moments earlier with a mocking tone.

"I'm very and utterly sorry," he bit out with as much sarcasm as he could muster up. Then in a much lower tone, "Don't get your panties in a twist."

Ignoring the last remark, she nodded in approval before sitting back on the swing. He openly stared at the girl with a tick above his left eye. Did she really want a repeat of what happened involving that swing? There was another swing next to it, but that's his swing for crying out loud!

As if Sakura can read his mind, she patted the other swing with a smirk plastered on her face. He looked at the girl, and then the swing, then at the girl, then Itachi's amusing gaze, at the girl again, then sighed.

"Come on, Sasu-chan!" she called out with a sugary sweet tone. "I bet I could swing higher than you."

Was that a challenge? He knew a challenge when he heard it. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. Sasuke knew that he wanted to beat this girl with obnoxious pink (who dyes their hair pink? Pink out of all colors!) hair and green eyes. She looks like a cotton candy with legs, for crying out loud.

"You're on, Pinky," he ran to the other swing, jumping on it when it swung back. He kicked his feet back and forth each time, making him go higher in the air. Sakura followed his example and they both started climbing higher and higher in the air. That little nickname sparked the fire in her, causing her to giver he r all in the challenge.

Itachi looked at the kids in amusement. It seems as if Sasuke made a new friend. A friend that has wits, fire, and bite. Sasuke does need someone to keep his ego down. Sasuke is a bit spoiled and can be arrogant most times. 'A bit spoiled?' Itachi scoffed at the thought. 'A bit spoiled' was an understatement. A huge understatement.

Ever since Sasuke was a little baby till' now, Mikoto would give him anything a kid could ever dream. He always got what he wanted and he unconsciously took advantage of it just ask Mikoto and then bam- he got what he wanted. His name helped him in the process. Sometime, Itachi wondered if it went to Sasuke's head.

The duo challenged each from swinging the highest on the swings to making the largest sandcastle in the sand box. They played for hours until it started reaching dinner time. Itachi wondered where they got all their energy from. Before Itachi could tell Sasuke that they were leaving, a woman came.

"Sakura, let's go! I have to make dinner soon," she called to the girl that was currently trying to the monkey bars. Sakura turned to the voice and her face brightened.

"Mommy!" she greeted when she hopped off the swing, running to the woman who gave a tedious smile. Sakura hugged her mother's waist tightly.

"Hi, honey," she hugged the little girl. "Go get your stuff before we leave. "While the girl followed her request, her mother met the eyes of Itachi's. "Oh, hello again. "

"Haruno-san," Itachi bowed in respect.

"Please, just call me Akira. Haruno-san makes me feel old," Akira laughed slightly.

"Of course, Akira-san" Itachi nodded. "Sasuke, come on. It was nice to see you again."

Sasuke looked at Sakura with a disappointed expression. She just waved goodbye to him with a small smile and returned to her mother's side. As if catching on what was happening, Akira looked at Sasuke, then at Sakura.

"Don't worry, Sakura, dear," she patted her head. "You're coming back tomorrow."

Itachi looked at her with a knowing look. To reassure Sasuke, she gave him a hint that he could play with her tomorrow. Sasuke gave a look of relief before giving a poker look as if he didn't care about the information, because all Uchiha's cannot show emotion. Itachi just shook his head.

Watching them walk way, Itachi turned to his little brother. "Come on, Kaa-san is probably done with dinner." They both started walking back to the compound with Sasuke talking animatedly about his experience today.

* * *

><p>Mikoto greeted both of them after setting the last plate on the table. Itachi sat down, thanked his mother, and started eating. Sasuke ate happily while retelling his story to his mother. Itachi saw Sasuke sneaking his vegetables in his napkin and resumed eating.<p>

The door slid open and everything went silent. Itachi ignored the way that his hair on the back of his neck seemed to stand up around the presence of this man. The person sat down at the head of the table and ate the plate set up for him already. No one uttered a word. The thick silence was suffocating and Itachi treaded cautiously as if he was walking on eggshells.

"Otou-san," Itachi greeted the person.

Fugaku was a strict, emotionless man. He had endless pits of black eyes that always seemed to stare into your soul. Like any other Uchiha, he was handsome and had no flaws whatsoever. His brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail similar to that of Itachi's. Frown lines were etched into his face and his whole demeanor screamed out "Scary" at you.

"Itachi, Mikoto," he nodded to the both of them before starting to eat. Sasuke stared at his father in hope before silently eating his food in utter defeat. Dinner continued in impenetrable silence. Fugaku got up after finishing eating, kissed Mikoto on the cheek, and left the dining room.

"Kaa-san, can I go to the park tomorrow?" Sasuke asked after taking his last bite of his dinner.

"Sure, but bring Itachi with you, " Mikoto brightened considerably at the thought of Itachi spending more time with his little brother and Sasuke finally finding a friend to play with. This also gave Itachi an opportunity to have a normal childhood. Well, as much as a shinobi can have a normal childhood. Maybe, Itachi can have hope for the future.

* * *

><p>Since that day at the playground incident, Sasuke has been returning to the park almost every single day. Some days Itachi couldn't take him, but Sasuke would go by himself, without notifying anyone of course. He was a big boy now, he deemed himself; he didn't need someone to take him to the park and babysit him! Well, that's what he's been trying to tell him mother all the time.<p>

Sakura didn't mind the company. She was actually glad to have someone to play with almost every day. Her mom once told her to not look a gift horse in the mouth, top appreciate life in every little way, and she was glad that she took every word for it.

Sakura had a gut-feeling that Sasuke wouldn't come to the park today. It usually was like a pattern sometimes, but other than that he was unpredictable; he was either gone on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Other than that, he was here most of the time. The only clue as to why he was gone was "training". What was Sasuke training for? To be a ninja or something?

She asked her mother if she could be a ninja one time. It did not end well for her. Akira had been washing the dishes when Sakura blurted out the question.

"Can I be a ninja, kaa-san?"

Oh, she really wished she didn't have horrible timing. She could have asked when she was about to go to bed or when her mother was going to pick her up after work. I guess she should have thought it through.

A crash of broken plates resounded throughout the kitchen. Sakura, stared, from the sudden noise, at her mother who seemed about to have a heart attack.

"What was that, Akira? I don't have all the money in the world to buy new silverware ever time you break something!" a man's voice echoed, slightly shaking the whole house.

"Nothing, Haori," she bellowed back, trying to keep the agitation out of her voice. "I just accidentally dropped something. I got scared - that's all."

"It better be, "Haori replied with a grumble, "When I go in there, I better find nothing. No shards of glass- no nothing!"

Haori Haruno was a strict man, a ruthless father when he wanted to be. It was rare to find him home because of his job. If he was, you would find him in the living room reading the newspaper. It was also rare to receive any form of compliment or appreciation from him.

Sakura often wondered if her father even loved her. He was one of Konohagakure's shinobi, a jounin more specifically. He didn't believe that she could be cut out as a shinobi. He would always make remarks of how she would probably die at her chunin exams – whatever that was. She didn't know, so how could she?

Often times she was caught playing with her father's weapons, but he wouldn't rebuke at her. Out of the blue, he would teach her how to throw a shuriken or where the best pressure points to immobilize them were.

"What did you ask, Sakura?" her mother looked at her, talking slowly as if she was speaking to an injured animal that was about to flee.

"I asked if I can be a ninja?" Sakura said it as if it was a question. From her mother's reaction, she wondered if she shouldn't have said it anyways. Akira dried her hands with a towel before sitting across of Sakura.

"Honey, you don't know everything about being a ninja. Only your father does," Akira said after a bit of thinking. It's not every day that your 5-year old almost 6 asks to be a Konoha shinobi already.

"But I want to be like Otou-san!" Sakura protested vehemently. " I want to throw a kunai right, to fly on the rooftops, to fight the bad guys! Isn't that what ninjas do anyways?"

"Yes, that's the basic of it," Akira nodded. "But you risk the danger of dying every single day. You can get killed on a mission."

"I want to help Konoha, not sit around and do anything!"

"Then you could be a doctor," she tried to reason with her daughter, but her stubbornness didn't sway her. She does get if from her mother after all.

"No, I want to be a ninja," Sakura crossed her arms and put a face of determination. The fire in her eyes grew brighter than before.

"I'll think about it, okay?" Akira sighed and ruffled her daughter's hair affectionately.

That was 3 months ago and her birthday was coming up in 4 months. Turns out the ninja academy will be enrolling that summer and she really hoped that her mother would make up the decision already.

When Sakura had arrived at the playground, in deep thought because she didn't hear her mother bid goodbye and leave, she noticed that someone was on her swing. Her swing, not Sasuke's, her swing. She thought that she should 'politely' tell the person that they were on her swing as she walked towards him, but she hesitated. She didn't want to be mean to him; she barely knew him for crying out loud!

Sakura thought of sitting next to the boy, but that meant that he would try to converse with her. He could even be like the ones that bully her too! He would just be like the rest of those evil, no good-

'_No,' _she thought, shaking her head from those thoughts. She couldn't just assume that he was like the others. He could be different and nice…and a _friend._ Then she made her final decision.

She carefully sauntered up to the hunched figure, her shadow casting a dark looming presence in front of her. He saw her shadow, her feet tapping gently on the sand somehow. His body tensed for any assault, physically and/or verbally. Sakura stopped short, nervously wringing her hands in front of her. Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but no sound escaped.

"If you're here to hurt me, leave."

She gasped at the sudden voice that interrupted the awkward, tense silence. Nothing was said after that. Why did he even say that? He shouldn't jump to conclusions quickly, she thought angrily.

"Why would you think I'm going to hurt you?" she retorted without any heat in it. It was an unconscious thing to say once you start to socialize with Sasuke. She didn't mean to suddenly say it, but the words just tumbled out on their own accord.

The blonde picked up his head and narrowed his blue eyes, suspicion lurking in the ocean depths. He frowned, replying, "You could be lying and then hurt me. That's what everyone does."

Sakura's eyes widen from what he said. '_He's just like me,'_ she thought with understanding, suddenly feeling a connection with him.

"No, I won't. Swing with me, okay?" she hopped on to the empty swing next to him with renewed vigor. Wiggling around to get in a comfortable sitting position, her gaze turned to the blonde who still looked apprehensive. "Well?"

"…I don't know how," he muttered, hiding his eyes behind the locks that fell over his sight.

"You don't know how? What do you mean?" Surely he didn't mean he didn't know how to swing, right?

"I don't know how, okay?" he huffed in bitter disappointment.

He never learned how to go back and forth on a swing. He tried to mimic the others that were on the swing, but he just ended up twirling the chains together. He didn't know how to ride a bike or skate, nothing. There was no one to teach him, no one to guide him through it.

He felt hands pressing against his back, feeling the warmth of their hands that was on the fabric. With more energy, the hands pushed him with a slight force sending him forward. With quick reflexes, he tightened his grip on the chains unless he wanted to have his face scratched from the sandy floor.

"What?"

"I'm teaching you how to swing," Sakura peered at the side so he wouldn't have to stretch his neck too much. His face was in utter shock from the act, then, slowly, a genuine smile started to form on his face. Tears pricked the side of his eyes and he turned his gaze to the front so she couldn't see.

"Thank you," he whispered, but Sakura heard and she grinned, eyes crinkling shut.

"You're welcome, so..." she explained the instructions with a calm, but enthusiastic voice. She patiently helped him and he started to get the concept with her assistance. Soon, the wind was whipping his face, his hair flying everywhere. He let out a bubbling of laughter and Sakura soon joined him.

The boy had slowly relaxed around her presence, but still was uncertain if her act was sincere. He was still on guard, she knew with a hurt feeling, but she ignored it and continued to try to get him to open up. In the end, he was comfortable around her, but still was uncertain of his actions in case she backtracked.

When they took a break to eat lunch, she noticed that he didn't have anything to eat. He glanced longingly at the bento her mother had packed for her, but he didn't ask. Luckily, Sakura's mother always packed an extra bento for her friends.

'_It finally came to good use,'_ she thought amused, digging out the extra. She pulled it out from her bag and the boy stared at it with pleading, sad eyes.

"Here, eat it," she handed him the bento, which he slowly extended his hands with hesitance to take it.

"Really?" he asked uncertainly and she nodded in reply, her mouth full of rice. He glanced at the food, then at her, and then back to the food in his hands. He gleefully opened it and thanked her.

Sakura stared at the blonde boy who was oblivious to her gaze. He seemed so adamant on inhaling the food before him.

"Hey, the food is not going to run away from you," she joked lightly and he slowed down with an embarrassed look.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized, wiping away the rice that stuck around his mouth, "I never ate food like this."

"Oh, I see. Then I should bring more then, huh?" she nodded to her idea. Then, realization hit her. "Oh!"

"What?" he placed his empty bento next to him, a questioning gaze directed towards her.

"I didn't even tell you my name," she glanced apologetically to him who he shrugged and smiled, "My name is Haruno Sakura, and yours?"

He paused hesitantly, and then answered slowly, "Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

**12-18-12:**

**So, hopefully there are fewer mistakes. Do you know how difficult it is to manage high school and college assignments? Sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall. I don't think we're going to be celebrating Christmas year due to money problems. I finally got my laptop fixed so that's why I couldn't update. I didn't feel comfortable typing my documents on a different computer. Please review, and have happy holidays!**

**12-20-12:**

**I changed how Naruto and Sakura met to be more realistic. I was thinking if they were older and more imaginative. To the anonymous person who mentioned this, I hope this would suffice. Thank you!**


	3. Forgetful hopes

**12-19-12:**

**I know I introduced Sasuke and Naruto quickly in the beginning, so I'll try to slow the story down. I'm still, as you know, getting more inspiration. To the ones that stuck around: thank you. Thank you for being there no matter how much the time has gone by. You stuck with me through thick and thin, even when my grammar and story was horrible. Thank you for everything.**

**Er my gerd…Er my gerd… 30 favorites and 46 alerts. I just absolutely love you guys. That's my present from you guys, since I won't be celebrating Christmas this year due to money issues. Just, thank you. Thank you for all your mental support!**

"Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto."

"Well, Naruto, we're friends now, right?" she asked with hope glimmering in her eyes, subtly twiddling her thumbs in her lap. She had developed a few habits of playing with her thumbs and other things when she was nervous.

His jaw fell slightly at her statement. _'Friends?'_ he thought. No thought had ever crossed his mind before that she would befriend him, but now, he was so surprised that she would ask this.

"Yes, believe it!" he fisted the air and she laughed at his antics, smiling at his zealous personality.

For the rest of the day, they continued to play on the playgrounds and on the swing. During the time period, kids started to flux in the area as their parents set off to work. When the adults saw the blonde that was currently pushing Sakura on the swing, they pulled aside their children for a hushed conversation, leaving when they sent a resentful glare at Naruto.

Naruto and Sakura's peers associated with themselves, effectively ignoring the duo although it didn't affect them at all. After all, they were used to the treatment they [the kids] delivered. They just carried on what they were doing and were oblivious to the resentment that was thick in the air.

The afternoon discovered the two unlikely pair lying on the grass under a shady tree, hiding their eyes from the painfully glaring sun's rays. They were gazing at the clouds that slowly floated by in the sky.

A breeze rustled through the tree's branches, knocking some of the leaves. Some managed to land in Sakura's pink hair, which Naruto plucked out chuckling.

They laid there in companionable silence, occasionally speaking when they saw a shape that defined something. The sky soon started to fade into the colors of blue, pink, and purple as they cloud-watched. Only a few kids remained at this time, but they still ignored the them.

There moment was short-lived when someone interrupted the silence.

"Sakura?" a feminine voice called out.

Sakura sat up and saw her mother staring at her worried, and relieved when she ran in her mother's embrace. When this was occurring, Akira was shooting suspicious, narrow glances to the blonde who tried to avoid eye contact.

* * *

><p>When Akira walked to the playground to pick up her daughter, she didn't expect to have anything break her routine. She didn't think this would happen until Sakura came home with Itachi Uchiha. Fortunately, he only returned her home safely.<p>

Then, she soon found out that Sakura befriended Itachi's younger brother, Sasuke. They soon became adjoined by the hip with the occasional healthy and friendly bicker. Now, she thought these unexpected events are rather unfortunate.

When she saw Sakura lying down with a boy she didn't know, she was ecstatic, really. She was really glad that her daughter had finally managed to befriend someone. She strolled towards them when she stopped abruptly, a gasp escaping out her mouth. She realized who the boy was when she got near to them.

It was the Kyuubi boy: Naruto Uzumaki.

She wanted to wretch her daughter from that despicable little demon. Who knows what lies he's been feeding to Sakura's innocent mind? What if he hurt her poor baby?

'_If he hurt her…_' she left the thought hanging as she watched them point to the sky and murmur something. Akira decided to end their 'moment' and called her daughter.

"Sakura?" she called out, wincing when her voice cracked from her anxiety. It came out hoarse in the beginning because she was trying to reign in her anger.

She released a sigh of relief when Sakura ran into her arms. Letting her go, she held her at arm's length and checked for any injuries.

"Kaa-san, come here and meet my new friend!" Sakura said excitedly, yanking her mother along with her towards the nervous, quiet blonde.

He stood up quickly with his hands cupped together, but his head was angled towards the ground beneath. His body language symbolized 'frightened' and 'tense' with how high his shoulders were and how he slightly cowered away when Akira came forward.

"Kaa-san, this is Naruto. Naruto, this is my mother," Sakura beamed and looked at the two.

Naruto looked up at the unwavering stare from the adult then switched his gaze quickly to something else.

"Hello, Haruno-san," Naruto said after a moment of hesitation. He bit his lip and carried on from a thought, "Thank you for the bento; it was very delicious to eat."

In that moment, something changed in Akira. When Naruto spoke, he tried to be as polite as he can be, despite the fact that he unknowingly contained the most dangerous tailed demon.

He wasn't a monster that killed hundreds of people five almost six years ago. He wasn't the person that killed her best friend when he swiped at the block of houses, completely eliminating it, which only ashes remained to remind them that once people lived there. He was not the one that the people called "evil" and "demon no matter how innocent he looks".

No, this boy that stood in front of her waiting for a reaction was just a _boy_. He was getting all of the bad treatment they give him, but still stood here when she could have yelled out insults for the gods to hear. He was a frightened and abused child, wanting attention when he never received any.

People envision as still the "demon he is" because in him, he contained the Kyuubi. He was the container, not the contained. That's when Akira's perspective changed drastically.

During that time when she realized this, everyone was silent waiting for a reaction. Naruto fidgeted under her unwavering, glassy stare. Sakura averted her gaze between them constantly, afraid and confused as to why her mother was acting like this.

"You're welcome, Naruto-san," her mother finally spoke, a hint of kindness and regret etched in her tone, "I'm really glad you enjoyed my cooking."

When Naruto saw Akira open her mouth, he cringed, preparing himself for the verbal abuse that was about to come. What she said shocked him that he stood there gaping, his mouth open wide and his eyes the size of saucers.

As she saw the blonde cringe, regret and sympathy swelled up inside of her chest. She was ashamed of herself for thinking that he caused all the pain and suffering. She was angry at herself for thinking of him as a demon himself, when all along he was just an orphan boy.

"Oh," Naruto scratched the back of his nervously, "Um, you're welcome."

"Well," she looked at them, "it's best we leave. Goodbye, Naruto-san. Come, Sakura."

"Bye, Naruto!" Sakura, who held her mother's hand when Akira called her, waved to her new friend. "See you soon, okay?"

"Bye, Sakura-chan," he grinned, waving at her retreating figure enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>"I'm leaving again, kaa-san!" Sasuke yelled as he was slipping into his sandals.<p>

"Oh wait before you leave," Mikoto stood next to the kitchen door, drying her hands with a rag. "Would you ask your Sakura-chan if she would come to dinner tomorrow?"

"Eh," he paused, looking at his mother, "Why?"

"Oh, I just want to finally meet your new friend, that's all," she assured his questioning gaze. Then she ushered him out, a smile adorning her face as she did it. Itachi, who was waiting for Sasuke, bid goodbye also and followed Sasuke silently.

"Bye," he waved, tugging Itachi's hand.

When Sasuke returned home the day they encountered Sakura, he wouldn't keep quiet. All throughout dinner he would talk about the "pink-headed devil herself" although he didn't have any bite into it. He explained the events that occurred, feeling ashamed as Mikoto chastised him for pushing a girl, yet Sasuke went on with the story.

Soon, Mikoto herself wanted to meet this Sakura girl. Sasuke's been going to the park for the past three weeks and back happier. So, she decided to get to meet her in person: a dinner with the Uchiha family.

Itachi seemed to watch over the girl as if she was another sibling that he cared for. He slowly became used to the fact that she was becoming part of his life each time they would meet. When he realized this, he didn't do anything to stop this..

Why would he stop seeing a person that made him feel "normal"? She made him feel as if he was a kid, as if he didn't have people's blood on his hands. He, each time he sees her, forgets that he has a duty, that he's the Uchiha heir, that he was a _prodigy_. He just forgot everything, the things that caused him all the stress.

"Hello, Itachi-san," she greeted when she ran to them once she caught sight of the two, "Hi, Sasuke!"

Itachi felt something swell dangerously in him. He felt jealously roar its ugly green head when Sakura greeted his brother so familiarly. He wished that she would be less formal with him, like Sasuke, but he didn't voice his thoughts.

"Come on!" Sakura said while grabbing Sasuke's hand, towing him along towards the sandbox.

Itachi raised an eyebrow in amusement when Sasuke tried to pull back his hand to no avail, sighing and accepting his defeat easily. He made his way towards the same tree he always sat under, choosing to meditate today.

When Sasuke first started to introduce the topic about Sakura, Fugaku immediately rejected the friendship. Although he had not paid much attention to his younger son, he still had high expectations for Sasuke.

"I will not allow Sasuke to associate with a- a peasant!" Fugaku growled out, shoveling food in his mouth in an etiquette manner, angrily chewing it.

"Fugaku…" Mikoto said his name quietly, warning him for what he was saying.

"No, Mikoto," He sent a pointed look at her, and then averted it to Sasuke who looked down at his food. "I will not allow him to befriend a civilian. For all we know, she could be only using him to get money!"

"But you don't know her at all," Mikoto reasoned.

"But I know how they all think," he pointed out, glancing at Itachi, who just sat there calmly. Fugaku mentally thanked Kami for having a son that knew better.

What Fugaku didn't know was how tense Itachi was. He was raging in the inside of how he blatantly insulted the pink-haired girl, who he barely knew! He wanted to just stop all the insults of how he assumed that Sakura was only using them for a gateway to their money.

No, the girl didn't even know the Uchiha's and how infamous they were. No, all she did was just befriended Sasuke and spent her days playing with him. She was humble and quiet, containing a short temper behind her innocent persona.

"No," Sasuke interrupted his parents. They both turned to him, confusion written on their faces, although Fugaku concealed it better.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Fugaku narrowed his eyes when Sasuke set down his utensils, but his bangs still hid away his eyes and part of his face.

"No," Sasuke said louder, lifting up his face which was red from anger, "Sakura is nothing like that! She is only friends with me not for the money, but because she _wants_ to be my friend. She doesn't even know who the Uchiha family is!

"I will not allow, tou-san, to belittle my friend, no matter if she was from a rich ninja clan or a civilian. She will remain my friend, whether you like it or not."

Everyone was silent as they stared with different reactions at the youngest Uchiha in the household. Itachi, although he maintained his composure, felt a mixture of pride and fear for his brother. No one, and I mean no one, retaliates against the head of the Uchiha clan. A son going against the head leader's demands is uncanny.

"No?" Fugaku cocked his head slightly to the side. "No?"

He laughed a guttural sound, coming out raspy and ominous. Sasuke shuddered slightly at the sound, but still looked at his father.

"You amuse me deeply," Fugaku chuckled, savoring the fear that showed on his younger son. _'That will teach him a lesson,'_ he thought, sneering. "You are a disappointment to the clan, to _me._ You are not a true Uchiha, nothing will make you on par with Itachi. I am ashamed to be your father right now."

"Uchiha Fugaku!" Mikoto yelled out his name in anger, barely restraining the majority of her anger. He sent her an amused stare, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"With that said, I'll be in the room," he stood up and stretched his muscles. Then, he looked at his older son and his wife. "Mikoto, I'll be expecting you soon. Itachi."

"Sasuke," Mikoto said gently, her voice sounding so soothing, her eyes softening at the hunched form.

"No, it's nothing, Kaa-san," he sent her a wavering smile that trembled. "I'm not hungry anymore. Thank you for the food."

He stood up from his sitting position, hugged his mother and brother, and walked out of the dining room. Itachi stared, sympathy showing in his dark eyes, at the retreating figure as it tried to control the shudders that wrecked his body. Soft sniffles and sobs were heard no matter how Sasuke tried to make it subside.

That was what happened the first day; after that, Fugaku was set on ignoring Sasuke a little more than usual. While the young Uchiha seemed unfazed, Itachi could see he was deeply affected from it. He felt angry for being this…this weapon, a tool for the Uchiha's.

The hairs on his neck stood up on their own accord, a tingling sensation warning Itachi of something. In a blink of an eye, Itachi stood on the truck sideways, holding two kids tucked under his arms.

"Dang it," Sakura muttered in defeat, hanging limply.

"We tried though," Sasuke comforted the girl who also was held by the prodigy.

They both had leaves tangled in their hair, scratches on their palms indicating their climb up the tree. They grinned up at the amused Uchiha who set them back down. Sakura pouted at their failure while Sasuke grinned from their attempt at ambushing him.

"What were you guys trying to do?" Itachi spoke, his left eye brow higher than his right. Luckily with all the training he did, he moved fast enough out of their attack and managed to catch them before they fell.

"We wanted you to play Ninja with us," Sakura said, innocently looking up with her doe-like eyes.

"By trying to catch me off guard?" he stared at them as they shrugged, plucking out the leaves in their hair.

"Couldn't you just ask me normally?"

"Nope," they replied simulataneously, both adorning grins on their faces.

Itachi chuckled at their similar antics, before standing up. They stared at him, waiting for a reaction. He covered his face with his hand, slowly dragging it down. When his eyes, which were shut closed, were revealed, he opened them quickly and making a "shushing" sign. Then, he disappeared from their sight.

"Eh?" Sakura looked around, confused. "Where'd he go?"

"I don't know," Sasuke shrugged nonchalantly.

A shrill whistle was heard and they both turned. They saw the person they were looking for 30 yards away, looking at them with a mischievous smirk. Sakura and Sasuke both looked at each other, smiled at each other, then raced towards him.

He dodged their attacks, weaving through as he moved away from their hands. He saw that they tried to glomp on to his legs, but his agility allowed him to disappear right when they got a hold of him. He saw Sasuke motion for Sakura to go around and smirked.

'_Hmm… Teamwork,'_ he thought as he dodged Sasuke again, who preoccupied his attention for the time-being.

"Gotcha!" Sakura yelled out, clasping on to his back, her arms wounding around his neck.

She had waited for the right timing to attack as Sasuke occupied Itachi. When she saw Itachi about to catch Sasuke when he sailed towards him, she ran quickly and jumped onto their enemy's back, catching by surprise.

"Good work, Sakura!" Sasuke yelled as he clutched his brother's legs, wounding himself around them. Itachi let out a genuine laugh, enjoying his time with the two kids. He walked around the grass, causing Sasuke to hit his bottom on the ground repeatedly.

"Ow, aniki!" Sasuke growled out in irritation, clinging harder to his brother's legs.

"You think you got it worse?" Sakura called out, barely saying the words.

She hugged Itachi's back desperately, afraid to fall on the ground. Without the support of Itachi's arms, it was more difficult to hang on. Sasuke just stuck his tongue out and continued to stick on like glue. Unbeknownst to them, a lone figure watched the trio playing, the corners of their mouth twitching upwards.

Mikoto stared at them, amusement shown on her face. She smiled at the happy sight and then walked back to where her house was to continue cooking dinner. _'What a happy bunch,'_ she thought, treading on the dirt path to the Uchiha's household. _'Good for the both of them.'_

**12-21-12:**

**And….Done! I really liked this chapter, even if I went with the flow. I really didn't think out the story, but I think of what I should put in my chapters; that's how it becomes a story that all connects! Merry Christmas and thank you for everything.**


	4. Respect is earned, not given

**12-26-12:**

** I just absolutely love you guys. Like, I just want to hug you to death. I'm going to start 2013 with a bang or, to put it simpler for me, just a fresh new start. Hopefully I can save enough money so I can buy a few clothes for my wardrobe and a flash drive. You don't know if suddenly your computer crashes and you need to save your fanfiction files. Yup.**

**45 favorites and 69 alerts - that just amazes me. You guys made my Christmas, so hope you enjoy this chapter. This chapter is dedicated to Luna, your review motivated me the most to keep writing.**

* * *

><p>Sakura and Sasuke plopped on the grassy hill, their chests heaving as they tried to regain their breathing. Itachi stood there calmly, slightly panting from the exertion. In the time span of them playing "Ninja," or as Sasuke puts it, "Catching Itachi and tackling him to death," the two five year olds managed to clutch onto the chunin twice.<p>

The first time was from Sakura launching herself onto Itachi's back when he was preoccupied and the second time when Sakura pretended to be injured and started bawling. Immediately, the older boy kneeled down to console the pink-haired child only to be deceived. Sasuke took the opportunity to tackle Itachi by the side, resulting in the brothers rolling down the hill.

It was like a cardio workout for Sasuke and Sakura, but it was almost like a warm up for Itachi. Both glared at him from how he was barely exhausted like them, envying his large amount of stamina.

The sky was tinged with hues of pink and purple, merging together with the blue as the color faded. The days were soon becoming colder as winter approached. Leaves fluttered to the ground, decorating it with colors ranging from red to yellow. The trees were almost bare from the lack of leaves. Clouds floated by lazily resembling huge cotton balls.

Once their breathing calmed, Sasuke turned to the girl, who appeared to want to doze off. He pursed his lips together and sat up.

"Oi, wake up," he poked her side, which she swatted his hand, a giggle slipping past her lips.

"Don't do that," she attempted to scowl, but the corners of her mouth kept going up. "I'm ticklish."

"Oh, really?" he looked at her mischievously. "Blackmail!"

"I hate you," she pouted, causing him to laugh slightly.

"No, you don't," he pointed out, and then remembered something. "My mom wants you to come for dinner."

"Eh?" Sakura sat up in bewilderment. "Why?"

"She wants to meet you because I never had friends outside the clan."

"You have friends?" Sakura gasped mockingly, in which Sasuke scowled at her sarcasm.

"Anyways," Sasuke glared, "She wants to know if you'll come over tomorrow."

"I don't know," she stared at her hands that were in her lap, "If my mom will say yes."

"She insists," Itachi sat across from them, sitting cross legged, his voice soft, but confident.

"But," she tried to say before Sasuke interrupted her.

"Come on!" Sasuke said. "Me and Itachi will be there."

"Itachi and I," his older brother corrected.

"'Itachi and I'," Sasuke stuck his tongue out childishly.

Itachi reached forward and flicked his forward, resulting in Sasuke wincing at the pain. "Foolish otouto."

Sakura seemed to contemplate before deciding on her final decision. "Okay, but only if she says yes."

"Yes to what?"

Sakura whirled around to see her mother staring down at her in amusement. "Kaa-san!"

Akira twirled her daughter in a circle before setting her down. "So, yes to what?"

"Haruno-san," Itachi bowed and Sasuke followed suit. Akira exhaled heavily and she stared at the older Uchiha.

"What did I tell you Itachi-san," she raised her eyebrow, "Call me Akira instead."

"Hai, Akira-san," he nodded, but she still sighed in defeat.

"Akira-san," Sakura's mother turned to Sasuke, "can Sakura come to dinner tomorrow?"

"Oh, was that all?" she chuckled at how simple the request was. "Of course she can."

Sakura sighed in relief when her mother consented to the question. She really thought that her mother was going to deny and leave the Uchiha's disappointed.

A breeze flew through the air, sending shivers down Sakura's body. It was cold already, but not cold enough to start snowing since it was barely December. When December is close to its end, that's when the snow will come.

"Ah, it's getting late," Akira mentioned, "She'll see you guys tomorrow. Bye, Itachi-san, Sasuke-san."

With that, both mother and daughter walked back to their home, the child's chatter fading away.

"Come, Sasuke," Itachi started to walk, "Kaa-san is waiting."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, walking alongside his brother.

* * *

><p>Luckily for Sakura, her mother didn't have work today so they just cleaned and cooked all day. Haori was on a mission for the whole week, hopefully returning before Sunday. His last mission, he returned home with a gift for Sakura.<p>

"What is it, Tou-san?" she barely held in her excitement, holding the wrapped present in awe.

"Now it wouldn't be a surprise if I just told you," he raised one of his eyebrows, amusement shining in his green eyes.

"True," she laughed, carefully ripping away the paper. "Oh!"

The fabric that she held in her hands was so silky and soft when she caressed it. It's white silk feeling like tangible water as she held it. Then she realized it was a kimono as she observed it closely. Pink cherry blossom seem to flow on the clothing as if it was flying in the wind. Inside the box were two red metallic chopsticks, an accessory for her long pastel pink locks.

"You're welcome," her father's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Thank you, thank you!" she hugged him, successfully surprising him.

"Don't get it dirty, that thing was expensive," he coughed out in a gruff voice, smiling slightly as he wrapped his arms around her slowly.

"Yes, Tou-san," Sakura released the shinobi, gazing in awe at her gift.

Akira decided to dress her daughter in that kimono for tonight. She tied Sakura's pink hair in a bun, which was held by the two chopsticks. Her bangs were clipped to the side by a cherry blossom pin. All in all, she was an adorable sight.

"Sakura, be polite and respectful to the Uchihas," Akira lectured her daughter as they walked to the Uchiha household.

"I know, I know," she assured her as her wooden sandals clacked on the ground.

"Don't speak unless spoken too," Akira reminded her. "And don't talk back."

"Yes, Kaa-san."

When they entered the Uchiha compound, every person's eyes were on them. Sakura and Akira stuck out like a sore thumb with their pink and red hair. Whispers and mutters resounded in the air as they watched the duo walk. They strolled past dozens of black and dark brown hairs with even darker color eyes.

Asking one of them the directions to the head of the clan, they arrived in front of a house slightly larger than the rest. Sakura rang the bell and not a minute later, footsteps were heard.

"Hello, you must be Sakura-chan and her mother," a woman kindly greeted them. She had an apron on as she wiped her pale, delicate hands on a towel. Her raven black hair was neatly pulled back in a bun, but some strands were loose, framing her heart-shaped face.

The Uchiha's dark eyes shined with inquisitiveness and benevolence as she looked at them. She was petite and looked magnificent for a person that two children. She wore black kimono outlined with blue seams. From the genes of an Uchiha, the woman barely looked past her 30s.

"Yes, it's nice to meet you, Uchiha-san," Sakura said, bowing in respect while Akira bowed also.

"You don't need to be formal, Sakura-chan," the lady said, "Please call me Mikoto."

"Hai, Mikoto-san."

"And you must be?" Mikoto turned her attention to the older woman.

"Haruno Akira, Mikoto-san," Sakura's mother introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet the mother of your sons."

"Ah, I hope Sasuke is no trouble to your daughter," Mikoto said sheepishly.

"No, he's a great boy," Akira assured the mother, "Well, I must be off. I'll pick up Sakura when she is done."

"No, I can get Itachi to walk her home," the Uchiha lady said.

"Arigatou, Mikoto-san," she thanked her, and then turned to Sakura. "Have fun and be polite."

"Bye, Kaa-san!" Sakura bid her mother farewell.

"Come in, come in," Mikoto ushered the pink-haired child, "It must be chilly."

Sakura slipped out of her sandals as Mikoto led her to the dining area. The whole family was waiting for them as they sat patiently. A intimidating man sat at the head as he stared at her with a scrutiny gaze.

"Good evening, Uchiha-san," Sakura greeted the man, bowing deeper to show her amount of respect.

"The feeling is mutual," he nodded, "Sit."

He waved her to the seat to the left of him, setting her across from Mikoto and next to Itachi. She gracefully sat on the mat, folding the kimono beneath her.

"Sakura-san," Itachi greeted her, nodding similarly like Fugaku.

She smiled at him and turned to her food, waiting until the head had taken a bite first. Everyone followed after, their utensils scraping against their plates. She melted at the first bite, its flavor dancing in her mouth. Sakura had to restrain herself to not stuff her face with the food.

'_That wouldn't make a first good imprison, no wait, impression,'_ she thought with an amused feeling. The table was decorated with different types of food, synchronizing together to make a delicious dinner. The food tasted so delicious that she mentally salivated.

Sasuke kept shooting glances, a small smile framing his face. Mikoto looked at her with a hopeful expression as she daintily chewed her food.

"Your food is delicious, Mikoto-san," Sakura complimented the woman's cooking. When the young girl said Mikoto's first name, Fugaku shot her an apprehensive look.

"Why thank you!" Mikoto grinned, "I didn't know what you liked so I made a variety of food."

"Oh, I'm not picky," Sakura assured her.

"So, Sakura," Fugaku interrupted the two females, gaining Sakura's attention immediately. "What is your relationship with Sasuke?"

"He's my friend," Sakura chose her words carefully around the intimidating figure.

"How did you become acquainted with him?" he asked, measuring her up with his eyes.

"We met at the park," she answered without missing a beat.

"You pushed him after he did the same."

"I acted before I thought of my rude behavior, I'm sorry."

"You should be. I hear that you are from a civilian family?"

"Yes," Sakura paused, and then continued, "but my father is a shinobi."

"I see," Fugaku nodded. "I guess I shouldn't beat around the bush: Are you using Sasuke to get to our money?"

Several chokes and sputters resounded around the table. Mikoto patted Sasuke's back to dislodge the clog in his throat. Sakura froze at the question, her eyes wide as she stared at Fugaku who remained unaffected. Her eyes blinked a few times while her mouth opened and closed repetitively as she attempted to come up with an answer.

"Well?" he demanded impatiently.

She exhaled quietly, her eyes closed to prevent the tears that would spill from her aggravation. She tried to calm her nerves, even attempting to count down from ten. When she opened her eyes, a flash of hurt appeared in the emerald gates before disappearing. She schooled her features into one of indifference.

Sasuke stared at her with worry marring his face, caring for his pink-haired friend. He knew his father would do something like this, but didn't think he would start it this early in the dinner. He subtly bit his lip nervously, his onyx eyes darting between his father and his friend.

Itachi was the one who remained calmed despite how blunt Fugaku demanded an answer from Sakura. The only way that represented how he was affected was when he stopped mid chew and slowly laid down his utensil. He stared in mute silence at the two as an uncomfortable silence took over.

Mikoto sighed mentally, running a hand down her face. Sometimes she wondered why she married that old fool. She wished for once that this was a normal dinner, but it seems as she would never receive it. She knew that her husband just wanted the best for his family and his clan, even if he favored Itachi a little more than Sasuke.

Fugaku waited, watching with interest to see what the young girl would do. He expected her to stammer and become intimidated by his presence, and then she would blurt out the truth of her intentions. He truly believed she would resort to that pitiful action.

But he didn't think what she was going to do next.

"Uchiha-san," she started, "I know you think I want your money- you're wrong. When I met Sasuke, I didn't know who the Uchiha's were. In fact, I still don't know who you guys are. All I can say is that you guys are just another clan, another clan that helps out Konoha.

"I'm friends with your son, not because of money, but just to be around him. I don't care about his and your surname, but for his personality."

"Hn," Fugaku smirked at her, his hand rubbing his chin's stubble. Everyone seemed as if they were holding their breath.

Sakura's heart was pounding erratically against her chest, her breath hitched in her throat. She was beating herself for what she said, even though other options seemed pointless. She crossed her fingers under the table, praying to Kami that she didn't anger the older man.

"Continue on being friends with Sasuke," Fugaku finally responded, causing everyone to release their breath that they unconsciously held.

"Uh, hai, Uchiha-san," she nodded, grinning cheekily. She barely restrained her giddiness that tried to claw its way out of her. He just told her to keep in contact with his younger son, and undirectly, Itachi too.

"And call me Fugaku," he said, causing her to nod happily.

Sasuke gasped silently, smiling of how his father accepted their friendship. He just wanted to dance around, but then that wouldn't do for an Uchiha. Uchiha's do not dance around at all. Itachi had tiniest bit of a smirk showing on his face, mentally congratulating the pink-haired girl.

Not only did she was allowed to stay acquainted with Sasuke, but she had also unintentionally gained the head of the clan's respect. And to add it all up, Fugaku had requested that she use his first name. That was also a hint for his respect for Sakura.

"Of course," Sakura said, and then added as an afterthought, "Fugaku-san."

"Hn," he nodded approvingly, continuing to eat.

Dinner continued in a more pleasant atmosphere, chatter idle as they enjoyed their food. Once everyone finished, Sakura assisted in lending a hand to Mikoto as the males walked to the living room.

"I appreciate your help, Sakura-chan," Mikoto smiled at her with gratitude.

"You're welcome, Mikoto-san," she said, handing her the dirty dishes.

"You made an impression on my husband, do you know that?" Mikoto asked as she washed the plates.

"A good one, I hope," she smiled, drying the plates handed to her.

"Oh you have no idea," Mikoto stated, a knowing look directed to the smaller girl. "I question myself if you're actually a five year old and not Itachi's age."

"Why?" Sakura looked at her briefly in confusion. Mikoto had to mentally stop herself from cooing about the girl's facial expression right now. She looked so adorable right now with some suds on her hair.

"You have an intelligent mind, Sakura-chan," Mikoto stated, "far ahead than your peers."

"Oh, um, thank you?" she blushed. No one had ever complimented her smartness, but would be the opposite.

"You're quite welcome."

Idle chatter continued as they finished cleaning up and the two females walked to where the living room was preoccupied. Sasuke sat fidgety on the couch across from his father, looking up with a bright look as he spotted Sakura. He wanted to appear as mature and stoic like Itachi and Fugaku, but his mind wouldn't allow it.

Itachi sat on the ground, a board game across from him. His elbow was propped on the little table the game was laid on, his hand cupping his chin. A thinking pose, if you would like to call it. Then, he moved one of the little objects to a different position.

He rotated the board so the opponent's side was closer to him, moving another figure to another location. He continued like this for several minutes, face devoid of any emotion. Sakura walked quietly to him, plopping herself down across from him.

"Is this like chess, Itachi-san?" she asked, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.

"Almost- it's Shogi," he looked up at her for a second then turned his attention back to his game.

"Oh," she nodded in understanding, watching him silently as he tried to play against himself. No side seemed to win.

"Would you like to learn?" Itachi asked, not looking up still.

"Eh?" an intelligent response came from her. "Oh, yes, I would love too."

For the rest of the night, Itachi was patient enough to teach Sakura the rules of Shogi and how to strategize against an opponent. She quickly caught on, but couldn't win against the chunin. He raised his left eyebrow in amusement from the frustrated look Sakura gave him.

"I think it's time for Sakura to return before it gets too dark, Itachi," Mikoto spoke, interrupting the peaceful silence.

Sakura looked at the time and gasped. It was almost 8 o'clock and she would have not noticed how dark it was. She was fully immersed in the game that she didn't pay attention to the time that flew by.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Fugaku-san, Mikoto-san," she bowed to a 90 degree angle once she smoothed the wrinkles down her kimono.

"It was nothing, Sakura-chan," Mikoto waved her off, laughing kindly.

"Come anytime you want," Fugaku nodded.

"Come, Sakura-san," Itachi held his arm out to her and she walked closer to him. He didn't heed the wince when she heard the san.

"Wait, aniki, I want to go to!" Sasuke pouted, jumping up from his spot. Itachi didn't rebuke, but let him come along.

There was a few children running around, but were soon called inside. The other clan members only glanced at the pink-haired girl between the two Uchiha brothers as they walked past them. The sun was gone in the horizon, creating a soft pinkish purple color to overtake the sky. Very few people bustled about as they set off toward their home for the day.

Small conversation was made between Sakura and Sasuke, Itachi joining in a few times. Soon enough they reached Sakura's home. As if sensing their presence, the door opened and Akira beamed at the three children.

"Thank you for walking her home, Itachi-san," the mother bowed in appreciation. "You enjoyed your time there right, Sakura?"

"Hai, the food was delicious," Sakura said and Akira smiled in delight.

"Bye, Itachi-san," Akira waved, "Thank you again."

"You're welcome, Akira-san," Itachi bowed slightly.

"See you, Sasuke!" Sakura waved frantically with happiness and Sasuke waved back, but not as energetic as the pink-haired girl.

* * *

><p>Snow continuously fell, decorating the ground in a soft white blanket. Houses were decorated with Christmas lights, their yards with snowmen and inches of snow. The sky was a faded grey as cold winds breezed by. Fires in the chimney warmed the cozy houses as the family gathered around it, a cup of hot chocolate held in their hands.<p>

Not many were outside for it was a bit chilly. Also, it was Christmas Eve so they decided to enjoy their time with their family. Everything and everyone was enveloped in the jolly atmosphere.

Sakura sat on the ground as she gazed intently at her father as he sat on the rocking chair. Her mother was knitting something on the sofa, calmly humming a tune. She was wearing a footsie, reindeers decorating it repetitively.

Haori brushed away a silver lock away from his eyes, but its unruly state caused it to do it again. His calloused hands pulled his hair into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. He sat comfortably in civilian clothes as he retold his adventures to his daughter.

"Oh, and did I tell you how my teammate got stuck in a ditch when a princess kissed him as to thank him?" Haori asked, his eyes softening slightly as Sakura laughed at the ridiculous event.

"Really? He's a ninja though, Tou-san!" Sakura tried to stifle her giggles with her hand.

"Yeah, but he couldn't resist when he walked backwards. That's when he fell in and we had to help," he said, rolling his eyes at the memory. A lot of mud and slipping happened that day, but they finally managed to get him out.

"And you don't want to tell your daughter of when you walked directly in front of a pole when a pretty girl waved to you?" Akira butted in, her eyes still focused on knitting whatever was in front of her.

"No, I just thought she looked familiar," Haori defended himself, slightly turning red.

"Oh yes, and you had to think too long until you realized what you were going to hit," she nodded in agreement, sarcasm dripping from her voice jokingly.

"You know I only think about you," Haori almost pouted, huffing when his wife snickered.

"Yeah, but you're still affected by pretty girls," she pointed out.

Sakura watched from the background as her parents conversed, more like bicker. She giggled silently at their interactions. Although they argued and got frustrated at each other, you couldn't turn a blind eye away from the love they showed.

A weird way of showing love, but Akira always insisted that under that stern, stoic face was a mushy, soft marshmallow. Sakura just looked at her mother awkwardly at the description, not believing in the words she said. Akira just waved her off, saying that she doesn't pay enough attention.

"Sakura," her father called out and she turned to him in interest. "I found this on my last mission, here."

He gave her a wrapped box, its frilly bow looking twice as large as its container. When she held it, it was quite heavier than she expected. She untied the bow, carefully ripping away the paper. In the box was a book, a book of ninja stories. A fairytale ninja book, as you can say.

"Thank you, Tou-san," she peered at him with a genuine grin, her heart swelling in her chest as she held it to her bosom.

"Merry Christmas," he leaned back in his chair, casually drumming his fingers against the arm.

"Hey, don't forget your mother here," Akira pouted in a joking manner. Then she held whatever she knit up. It was a beautiful green scarf that would bring out the colors of her daughter's eyes. "Merry Christmas, darling."

"Thank you, Kaa-san!" she took it and held it in her small hands, caressing it in fascination. Its knitted seams interested her as it interlaced in an animal style pattern. It was just a shade darker than her viridian green eyes, making it pop out.

A few days ago when she was walking with her mother through the market place, Sakura saw an adorable wallet in a store's window. It was the shape of a frog and had a clasp to keep it closed. The frog was a murky green with pale yellow spots. She thought it would look great for Naruto.

Her mother saw this and went in to buy it. As they continued to walk, a blond blur knocked into Sakura.

"Hi, Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted with a loud voice.

"Naruto, you could have made me fall!" Sakura lectured, but hugged her blonde friend tightly. "Look what I got you!"

"For me? Thank you, you're the best!" Naruto hugged her again, sincerity swimming in his cerulean eyes. He held the wallet preciously in his hand, scared to get it dirty. "But I didn't get you anything."

"It's okay, you can get me something later if you want," she assured him and he nodded, waving her goodbye saying he had to visit "Old gramps."

That day, Sakura got Itachi and Sasuke a gift for Christmas. She got a toy weasel for Itachi, just for his namesakes and a pillow the shape of a tomato. She hoped that the Uchiha brothers would really like it.

The next morning, Sakura woke up early to see her mother cooking breakfast. What was surprising was to see Itachi and Sasuke sitting at the kitchen table too talking to her father. Sasuke grinned at her and then looked at Haori.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sakura asked, settling in a chair next to Sasuke.

"Hello to you too," Sasuke mocked in sarcasm before she hit him lightly in the arm. He pretended to have been hurt by it, clutching his arm away from the girl.

"Good morning, Itachi-san," she smiled at the reserved Uchiha across from her who nodded with a slight smile.

"They came to give you a present, Sakura," Haori said, sipping his coffee in bliss.

"Arigatou," She nodded her head gratefully for she was already sitting down. "Might as well stay for breakfast, right?"

"We already ate breakfast, but thank you for the offer," Itachi said.

Akira entered the dining room, carrying stacks of pancakes covered in syrup, but what was odd was a plate of tomatoes, regular tomatoes. Sakura shot a look at Sasuke who just blatantly ignored her unnerving stare. He accepted the tomatoes happily, taking a bite in the juicy flesh.

After they ate their breakfast, they all gathered in the living room after Sakura helped Akira with cleaning up. Itachi and Sasuke sat next to each other holding their presents. Sakura gave them their presents, waiting for them to open it.

Itachi unwrapped his present and his eye unconsciously twitched until he smirked. He thanked her and placed the weasel next to him. Sasuke eagerly ripped the paper and stopped abruptly, his face frozen from shock.

Sakura snickered silently at Sasuke's reaction, which proved to be worth it.

"Arigatou, Sakura," Sasuke muttered, a blush on his face as he held the tomato shaped pillow in his lap.

"Honey, open yours," Sakura's mother said, pushing the presents towards her.

She decided to open Sasuke's first since it seemed he was still blushing over his present. She gasped in awe from the gems that sparkled from the fire's glow. They were green combs with red gems that looked pink in the light. They were combs for her pink hair and she absolutely loved it. She tackled the boy and thanked him endlessly.

"I know, I know," he growled out, "Now let me go."

"You know you liked it, chicken head," Sakura teased.

"My hair does not look like a chicken!" he retaliated.

"Oh, right, it looks like a duck's behind!" Sakura corrected herself.

"Just open Itachi's present," he huffed out, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Fine, party pooper," Sakura said, cautiously tearing away the tape.

Inside the box was another box. Sakura looked at the older Uchiha in confusion who smirked. She growled out and ripped away the paper to discover another box. Sasuke laughed at her misfortune, a gleeful smirk on his face. She threw the mess at Sasuke who glared while a bow lay on top of his head.

After countless of boxes in boxes, much to Sakura's misfortune and everyone else's humor, she finally opened a box to reveal a necklace. It was a simple silver chain, but what caught her attention were the pendants. There was a cherry blossom on it outlined by silver with another pendant the same size next to it. It was the Uchiha clan symbol with its red and white fan proudly displayed. To encase them together, a whitish gold circle surrounded it, molded together by metal.

"This is beautiful, Itachi-san," Sakura whispered, and then tackled him in glee. He fell backwards, holding her by her waist. She hugged him, her nose barely brushing against his chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sakura-san," he muttered, his voice soft and soothing. "Merry Christmas."

He hugged her slightly before releasing her, ignoring the cooing from Akira and the stern glare from Haori. Sasuke pretended to have a disgusted look from the sight before tackling them again.

"She's too close to boys," Haori muttered, a pout taking over his lips.

"Oh shush, you old coot," Akira swatted his shoulder.

"My hair is silver, not grey," he defended himself, holding his pained shoulder.

"They're like her brothers, siblings she never had," she said, staring at the sight with kind and pleased eyes.

"I hope it will stay like this too," he muttered, earning himself another slap. "Ow, you hit like a man."

"Haori, dear, you don't want me to show you who the real man in this house is," Akira smiled sweetly, sickly sweet might I add, a threat looming over his head.

"No, dear."

"Thought so."

**12-28-12:**

**Is this okay? Yeah, Sakura's just a sweetheart. Thank you to all that reviewed, followed, favorited, etc. You guys inspire me to keep doing what I do. Happy New Years and start the year with a bang.**


	5. Finality is chosen

**2-15-13:**

**I really want to apologize for the lack of update since I just went MIA. I had writer's block and now I just want to make it up to you guys. I'm sorry if it's not that long either, but please do with it.**

A sneeze emerged from within her body, her eyes half open and nose scrunched up for the upcoming assault. She felt it bottle up and she prepared for the rush, only for it to disappear a minute later. She pouted angrily at the last minute decision, rubbing her nose absentmindedly.

Sakura absolutely hated allergies. Stuffy noses and sneezing was not making her day at all. It was spring and the season brought along her enemy, allergies. Today was windy so she wore her green scarf that her mother knitted for her. Along with her scarf, she wore a white knitted sweater with a pair of denim pants. It kept her protected from the chilly breezes that drifted through the park.

She was using it as a tissue because her mother forgot to pack them in her backpack. She sat on the swing in the park peacefully, enjoying the silence in her surroundings. She caressed the pendant that lay on the hollow of her throat, lost in her own thought. Every day she would wear the pendant, feeling hollow without it.

She thought Sasuke would hide his present somewhere so no one would witness it, but she was entirely wrong. Placed on the edge of the bed's head, closer to the wall, was the tomato pillow. Sasuke fabricated an excuse that he had no where to place it, but in all honesty he was attached to it. Itachi had set his toy on a shelf as a decoration. It seemed to be the only childish and innocent item in his plain room.

She sneezed suddenly, disrupting her reverie in the process, and she glared pitifully at the ground. Her birthday was arriving in a few weeks, thankfully, and she was already looking forward to it. Sakura was disappointed that she hadn't received a response from her mother about the ninja academy; she wanted to enlist because Itachi and her dad had made an impression on her, but that wasn't the only reason for her decision.

She didn't want to become a ninja just because some people had made an impact on her, but because she wanted to help her village. She wanted to contribute to Konoha and assist everyone, shinobi and civilians alike. Oh, she wanted to be a lot of things, but this was the most realistic one of them all.

The sun shined down through the clouds on Sakura's head, but enough to provide light for her to read the book that her father had gotten her. She caressed the corner of the page as she neared the end, silently flipping it to the next page. It was almost noon and a dozen of kids began to arrive, the park bursting in energy. Innocent, childish laughter drifted through the air as they ran and played.

A red rubber ball rolled towards her direction until it stopped in front of her. She looked up from her book and closed it, holding it to her side as she hopped off the swing's seat. As she proceeded to lift up the ball, a boy, probably a few years older than her, ran towards her.

"Here's your ball," Sakura smiled shyly, handing him it, but he stared. "You can take it – I don't have the cooties."

"I don't want it," he sneered in a disgusting manner as if she was contagious. "You can keep it because I can just buy another one."

"That's stupid," she commented and thrust the ball towards him, in which he backs up. "Just take it."

"I said no, demon girl!" he swatted the ball out of her hands, resulting for her to drop her book too.

"Well, you didn't have to be mean and I'm not a demon," she huffed angrily, bending over to fetch her fallen item. Her fingers brushed the spine until a pair of hands pushed her to the rough ground. "What was that for, you jerk?"

"What comes from the ground or even touches it stays on the ground," the boy grinned in a sinister way.

"What's taking so long?" another boy asked, with a few children trailing behind him. "Just take the ball and leave the demon girl."

"Where's the fun in that?" a girl asked, snickering while the others agreed. "Our parents told us that she was evil too. So, we're helping out Konoha."

"Leave me alone," Sakura growled out, panic rising inside of her of how the situation was turning out. She held her book to her chest in a protective manner, her eyes wide as she looked for an exit.

"No, I think we'll have some fun first," the first boy who swatted the ball said. He wrenched the book from her clasp and flung it behind her, a thud and flutter of papers heard. Sakura attempted to run, but he yanked one end of her scarf towards him, choking her throat slightly from the tightness.

A cry of pain escaped from her lips as she collided with the floor again. The girl in the group fisted a chunk of Sakura's hair in her hand and yanked hard. Her head followed the direction to lessen the pain, but she felt some of the strands forcefully being pulled out from her scalp. A pained moan followed and her dainty hands desperately tried to claw her attacker, but someone slapped them away.

Fresh, warm tears rolled down her cheeks as she whimpered from the torture. A trail of red liquid crawled down from her head down to her face, presenting a red line. It disgustingly went well with her pink hair. The girl released Sakura and the pink-haired girl thought it was a cue for them to stop, so she sighed in relief. In reality, it was the opposite.

They kicked her and pushed her down while pulling her back up to repeat the process, resulting in fresh bruises to slowly form on her body. The dirt stained her once pure clothes.

A well-aimed kick targeted her cheekbone in which her head snapped to the opposite side. Her teeth were bleeding and she spat it out, but the blood coated her pearly whites. All of the air was knocked out of her body as someone punched her solar plexus. Blood splattered onto her sweater and her scarf was long gone. Her jeans earned fresh tears in them and dirt caked onto her knees.

She kneeled over and gasped for oxygen, her necklace hanging down as it swung like a pendulum. Someone tried to reach for it, but the girl who yanked her hair slapped it away.

"Why did you stop me?" the boy asked in irration.

"No, no. We have to stop, look!" the girl's tremulous hands pointed to the pendants. The Uchiha fan glinted in the sunlight as if to glare at their actions. It twirled ominously and the assailants backed away in fear.

"U-Uchiha! She's friends with an Uchiha!" the first guy stammered out in fright. They backed away, thinking that they hadn't done anything.

When they got to a safe distance, they ran far away.

Sakura stayed in that position until her labored breathings lessened. At that moment, all the pain rushed to her pain receptors and she gasped. She straightened up, whimpering now and again as tears streamed down, and gently picked up her book. She put it in her backpack and limped behind a tree so no prying eyes will see her form.

She held her backpack to her bosom and thought of what occurred. Thinking about the event caused a dam to break and she hugged herself tightly. She wept uncontrollably, her chest heaving as she felt part of her body clench in pain from the sudden movement, but it caused more sobs to erupt.

A twig snapped and she gasped in fear, pressing her back against the bark. It dug into her skin painfully, but she kept quiet. She attempted to slow down her breathing, but it came out in sobs. Her eyes were puffy and red and she peered through her eyelashes in fear.

"Sakura?" a deep, baritone voice called out.

"I-I'm over here!" she called out, wincing from her hoarse voice. Footsteps can be heard as Sakura wiped away the tears, still crouched against the tree. She couldn't really recognize the voice, but they seemed familiar. She just couldn't pinpoint who it was.

"Saku- oh my heavens! What the hell happened to you?" the man yelled out in anger and fear. He clutched her arms, evoking a gasp to escape, and he loosened his tight grip.

"Tou-san?" Sakura said his name in surprise. "I thought Kaa-san was supposed to be here."

"I wanted it to be a surprise, but I guess I received the surprise in the end," Haori growled out, his demon roaring in fury as it clawed and fought against his cage. He wanted to capture the one who injured his daughter and make them suffer infinity times what Sakura experienced.

"I fell from climbing a tree," she pitifully fabricated a lie.

"Tell me the truth now!" he demanded, lifting up the edge of her shirt to reveal fresh bruises across her skin. He gently probed a bruise and she cried out in pain and he immediately regretted it. "Oh, sweetie, it's okay. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Tou-san," she smiled, even though blood slightly stained her teeth, but then she frowned. "These kids called me a demon. I don't know why though; I didn't even do anything!"

He frowned, but picked her up. "Don't worry. They don't know better like their parents."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, but her dad shrugged it off. He jumped swiftly on the rooftops to the hospital. He kicked open the door slightly and a nurse saw her curled into her father's side. The nurse ushered them in a room so he could examine Sakura.

After an ominous time period, the nurse gave the news.

"Luckily, your daughter only received a hairline fracture on one of her ribs and cheekbone. I healed the cut on her head, but the bruises should heal naturally. Your daughter was lucky that she didn't hit her head when she fell," he said.

"Yes, she's clumsy when going down the stairs," Haori nodded, lying smoothly.

"She'll be fine in a few days, so I can sign you guys out."

Both daughter and father exited out the hospital doors and Sakura rounded on her father.

"Why did you lie to him, Tou-san?" she cocked her head to the side.

"Some things we cannot tell to people," he stated and walked in a direction opposite to their home.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to the Uchiha's so they can help you in your future career as a ninja."

**A/N:**

**It's something, right? I need more time to think about this story and everything. I tried to check for any mistakes, but I'm just so out of it right now.**


	6. Training to be the Best

A/N:

I don't know. Do I deserve this pain of not updating for a long period of time? I thank the two Guests and 01Trycia-chan01 for taking time out of their busy schedule to review. The others, I thank you for reading it on your spare time. Just to let you know, I'm thankful for people that notice me at all for my work. Thank you. – 2-19-13

….

"Won't Kaa-san be angry that you didn't tell her?" Sakura asked as they walked, more like Haori carrying her as he jumped from roof to roof.

"She won't be after the reason I give her," he shrugged and quickened his pace. His chakra was chaotic as he still tried to reign in his anger. It was like a hurricane swaying the trees side to side from its vicious winds. A growl silently slipped from his lips as he tightened his grip on his daughter.

How dare they hurt his daughter? She was barely six years old and yet the other kids had the decency to leave her looking like a bloody mess. He thought of gruesome tactics to torture the parents of the assailants, but then sighed in defeat. Those people didn't know better – they only saw the evil inside him, not the exterior. Naruto Uzumaki is the same age, yet they only look at the demon aspect that is a part of his very being. In the end, he was punished for the deeds of the Kyuubi.

With these chaotic thoughts running through his mind, he did not notice Sakura staring at him. His face aged with some battle-earned scars had a frown that turned to a scowl and then a look that seemed tired of life. It made him seem older than he was and she didn't favor it at all. She felt his arms tighten to the point of little discomfort, but she ignored it because she held on to him tighter.

She looked as buildings blended into a blur of white and red while the trees were a mesh of evergreen and brownish black. The wind whipped her hair back and her body jostled each time her father lifted his feet from the tile roof. Barely heard footsteps grazed the roof, sometimes looking like he was not even touching it, before they touched another identical one a second later. She saw other black or green figures speed by and Haori nodded to them, a face devoid of emotion, but focus.

He landed on the dirt ground in front of the compound where he was greeted by a few Uchiha men. They all had defensive stances as they watched Haori, bristling with barely contained anger and chakra uncontrolled, stand there with her cradled in his arms. When they laid their eyes on the pink-haired child, they relaxed and bowed, moving to the side to let them through.

"Thank you," Haori said in a clear voice and stalked past with purposeful strides to the head of the compound.

Many greeted the young girl as she made her way through the area, children asking if she would want to play. She declined and bid goodbye as her father continued forward. As they reach the door, Itachi held open the door on cue as if he knew they were coming, which was true. The young shinobi felt the veteran's chakra a mile away.

"Haori-san," Itachi bowed and when he straightened himself, he saw Sakura's battered form. She gave him a toothy smile, not noticing the twitch of his finger, which Haori had caught.

"Itachi, I need to speak to your parents, including you if you desire," Haori stated, not as a request, but more like a demand.

Itachi glanced at her again and lead them towards the dining room where the rest of his family resided. Sasuke looked up with delight at his friend, but was confused at the amount of bruises and scratched to cuts that decorated her petite form. They seemed to have finished dinner and Mikoto was cleaning up. Fugaku stared emotionless, but a glint of anger flashed briefly in his dark brown pupils. The Uchiha matriarch almost dropped a plate when she gasped at the sight.

"I apologize for intruding, but we need to have a discussion," Haori declared after he bowed to the family when he set Sakura on her dainty feet. Fugaku nodded and Mikoto cleaned the area quickly as they all made their way to the living room.

Sasuke followed behind his brother as he trotted down the hallway. He had a look of confusion as he didn't understand the current situation. Itachi silently trailed behind his father, nothing betraying his feelings of it except the constant twitching of his finger. They sat around in the living room and Mikoto sat next to her husband, kneading her hands together in worry.

Sakura sat with Sasuke on the floor as they watched their parents stare in each other's gaze without a peep. The ominous silence was broken as Haori started with, "I want Sakura to be trained as a ninja."

Fugaku looked at him with a calculating gaze that flickered to Sakura as she glanced back and forth to the adults. He said after a minute, "You want us to find you an instructor."

"Haori-san, we need to know the reason and I have an idea why," Mikoto talked with a slow voice as she treaded lightly. "Just to make sure – did you?"

"Why would I ever do such a thing? She is one of my loved ones – my daughter, none the less," he growled and Fugaku shot a warning glare at him.

"I'm sorry, but I had to ask just for confirmation," she sighed in relief. "What happened?"

"My daughter has befriended the Uzumaki kid, who has gained the approval of my wife, for a while now. The consequences had arrived and some kids decided to act upon the hatred of their parents. They beat her and I wonder why they stopped when I know they would have continued. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful, but we know they would have left her on the brink of death," Haori pointed out.

"They saw my necklace," Sakura piped in with a quiet tone. "They know I'm friends with Sasuke and Itachi, so they ran."

"You're okay though, right?" Sasuke asked with a hopeful voice and she nodded as an answer.

"Back to the topic, I've decided to allow Sakura to pursue her career as being a shinobi," Haori finished.

"Of course," Fugaku said and Haori furrowed his eyebrows before nodding in realization. "She has grown accustomed to my sons, along with myself, surprisingly. She could join Sasuke in his training and share instructors. Also, I could have Itachi train her when he has the time. I know that Sakura would make a fine kunoichi in the long run."

"Thank you, Fugaku-san," Haori said relieved, "I'm forever in your debt."

"No need for that, Haori-san. Your daughter is a part of the Uchiha family too," Fugaku shook his head.

"Thank you again. I must be going since I didn't notify Akira," Haori stood and Sakura stood with her father.

"Goodbye, Sakura!" Mikoto hugged the girl. "Come again soon, okay?"

"Yes, Mikoto-san," Sakura promised and waved goodbye. Itachi led them out and Sakura gripped his legs tightly in an embrace. "Bye, Itachi-san!"

He waited until she released him and kneeled down to her height. He held her by the arms and stared in her innocent doe-like eyes. "No one will hurt you again when I'm still here." Then he poked her forehead in a teasing manner. She glared playfully at him, but a smile ruined her façade.

Haori watched the scene with a peaceful expression and then took off with his daughter using the rooftops as way of transportation.

* * *

><p>When they arrived home, they saw Akira pacing the kitchen with a worried expression. She looked up at their entrance and sighed in relief, putting a hand to her chest, but glared angrily.<p>

"I allow you to pick her up and you guys end up two hours late!" she barked out, her hair flying around her from her fury. Sakura heard an audible gulp behind her and looked at her father who seemed relaxed despite the bobbing of his Adam's apple.

"We can talk about this in the room," he said as he nodded in Sakura's direction. Akira followed his line of sight and her eyes widened. In three long strides, she held her daughter's face in her hands. She moved Sakura's face side to side almost tearing up at the sight as she continued around her body. She lifted up her daughter to the chair of the kitchen table and sat her there and grabbed a plate of food. Sakura, without asking, picked up her chopsticks and quietly ate.

Her eyes followed her parents until they vanished down the hallway. She heard the door close faintly and glass shattering soon after. She stared worriedly at what was happening, but continued to nibble on a piece of shrimp.

"I'll kill them!" her mother's voice rang out like a lion's roar. Everything was silent except the muttering of her parents' voices and the crash of something breaking. She soon finished her food so when she had placed it in the sink, her mother entered the kitchen along with her father trailing behind.

"Early birthday present, Sakura, you get to be a ninja!" Akira gleefully stated, but she was seething in anger. Sakura gasped in excitement since she wanted to gain her mother's acceptance from the start. She ran and hugged her mother thanking her profusely and Akira held her daughter in a protective manner.

"Anything for my daughter," she whispered.

* * *

><p>Sakura went back to the park the next day, but the kids stayed far away from her as if she had a contagious disease. She was thankful for that because she didn't want to have another reoccurring event. That day Naruto had accompanied her and was horrified at the damage done to her. He wanted to beat them for injuring "his Sakura-chan," but Sakura pleaded him not to.<p>

They stared at the duo with such disdain and hatred; she flinched every time they made eye contact. The Kyuubi container and the pink-haired child ignored their unwavering gaze in favor of playing on the swings. Sakura also spent the majority of her time teaching Naruto how to read. He had some difficulty with some of the words, but he managed to read a sentence with few pauses.

The next few days were spent idly resting at the park, visits from Naruto, and Sasuke and Itachi. Her bruises faded and her cuts healed into little pink scars or nothing at all. When Haori noticed her well-being, he insisted that she spend her time at the Uchiha's from now on. She obliged with no complaint since she enjoyed her time there. What she didn't know was that as soon as she was there, they would start her training.

Fugaku stood in the large backyard with another anonymous man that she could identify as another Uchiha. He placed a small smile on his face as Sakura grinned at him, surprising him when she launched herself at him. He chuckled silently at her childish antics, but then refocused his attention to the other man.

"Shiki this is Haruno Sakura, Sakura this is one of my family members," Fugaku introduced and Sakura bowed deeply to show her respect.

Shiki Uchiha nodded in approval and bowed slightly. "You can call me Sensei during our training, Sakura-san."

Sakura looked at her new teacher and he was genetically similar to the average Uchiha. He had raven silk hair that was cropped to his ear and left tousled. He had piercing black eyes and a scar from his left temple to right cheek. He simply wore dark brown ninja pants and a mesh shirt over a fishnet tank. A weapons pouch hung by his left hip and bandages were wrapped on both of his forearms.

"I am honored to be your student, Sensei," she said with excitement. He smirked at her enthusiasm.

"I'll leave you to your training, Sakura," Fugaku said and left them. Shiki walked around her as he analyzed her form. He grunted and muttered to himself, and then stopped right in front of her.

"For the rest of the month, we're going to work on gaining muscle. I need to know where you stand relative to stamina, speed, and strength," he told her and she nodded.

He pointed to a tree about 20 yards away, "I want you to run there at your top speed and back at least until you start breathing hard."

She took off at the tree he had assigned and watched as it got closer and closer. When she reached the tree, she brushed it with her hand and rounded around the trunk towards her teacher. She stopped in front of him before she launched herself again, but was feeling her breathing become labored. She pushed away from the tree to give her a boost and sprinted with all her might to her teacher. Her chest was heaving as her legs burned from the lactic acid.

"Not bad, but not good either," he nodded. When she had enough rest, he put her to work again. "Get into push up position. Yes, like that, but put your feet farther away so that you are parallel to the ground. Hn, now put your hands close together until they form a diamond. When I say 'down', you stay down until I say 'up', understood?"

"Yes, Sensei!" she called out from her position. She waited for his command as her arms supported her weight along with her feet and legs.

"Down."

She slowly eased her way down which was difficult with her arm position. Her arms trembled as the seconds ticked by. After ten seconds that seemed to be an eternity, her sensei released her from her burden. Sakura lifted herself up with tremulous arms and exhaled a long breath shakily.

"Down," his voice demanded with superiority and she could just imagine a smirk plastered on his face.

She groaned mentally as she bent her knees and held the position until it seemed she would collapse.

"Up," he commanded and she sang hallelujah, in her mind, of course. She released her hold and her face met the soft grass. She sighed in contentment and he looked at her amused.

"Come on – we're not done yet," Shiki prodded her lightly on the side with his foot and she literally groaned. "From that, we'll double it."

And that day she hated the fact that her father and friends for being or wanting to be a shinobi and that she was probably going to die after the training. And the next day, with the next following after that.

A/N:

Yes, yes? How was it? I would have made it longer, like 3,000 more words longer, but I want to make it up to you guys by updating a little faster for this one. You know what I'm feeling. I think I lost most of my readers because I barely got any views or reviews. I feel bad now, but have a good year!


End file.
